Changeable sign.



W. L, CLARK.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED was, m6.

m wmu Patented June 12, 1917.

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-lllfAl'x,BEN L. CLARK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GHANGEABLE SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1992M.

Application filed April 3, 1916. Serial No. 88,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVARREN L. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, N. Y., have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Changeable Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a changeable sign or bulletin-board of the type utilizing a support and a series of letter or character bearing plates, which latter are interchangeable with respect to each other and detachable and adjustable with respect tothe support.

Signs or display devices of the type to which my invention relates are generally utilized for advertising purposes in show windows, upon counters, stands and the like, as hanging signs upon walls or in windows, as directory-boards for office buildings, railway stations and the like, for church bulletins, lodge directories, baseball score boards, or wherever changeable signs are necessary or desirable.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple sign or display device, the body or panel of which is composed of a plurality of separate and independent rails or slats which are identical in form, which construction in addition to making it possible to produce signs of any desired size, is a decided factor in economy of manufacture, inasmuch as the rails or slats are simple in form and can be very cheaply produced and properly assembled with the expenditure of comparatively little time and labor.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a sign or display device having interchangeable and readily adjustable letter or character bearing plates, which latter can be easily and qulckly applied to or removed from the supporting element, thus permitting the wording of the sign or bulletin to be changed as desired; further to provide a changeable sign wherein both faces of the body or panel are adapted to receive the interchangeable character bearing plates, and further to produce a sign which, when properly assembled, presents a neat and finished appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevational view of a changeable sign of my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the metal rail or slat which is utilized in the formation of the body or panel of the sign.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of a corner of the sign.

Fig. at is a vertical section taken approximately on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a combined support and spacing member which is utilized when the metal rails or strips are assembled to form the body or panel of the slgn.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a modified form of the sign wherein the metal rails are arranged in pairs so that both sides or faces of the sign body or panel are adapted to receive the interchangeable character bearing plates.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the body or panel of the sign is made up of a series of superimposed rails or slats, the same bein identical in size, form and construction. Each rail is formed of suitable sheet metal, the same being bent so as to form a central plate or body portion 10 which normally occupies a vertical position and from the upper edge of this central plate or body portion the metal is bent downward to form a flange 11 which occupies an angle of approximately forty-five degrees with respect to the vertical plane occupied by plate 10.

The metal in the lower portion of the strip is bent rearwardly to form a flange 12 which occupies an inclined position of approximately thirty degrees relative to the vertical plane occupied by plate 10.

The supports for the ends of the metal rails thus formed comprise blocks 13, preferably of wood or analogous material, the

upper and lower ends thereof being pro vided with inclined or beveled faces 14L and 15 so as to fit respectively against the inner faces of flanges 11 and 12 of the rails.

Each block is provided at its lower end with a depending projection 16 which is adapted to engage the upper end of the next adjacent block, thus spacing the blocks a sufficient distance apart to receive the flanges 11 and 12 of an adjacent pair of the strips or rails and also the hook of a character bearing plate which is hereinafter more fully described. These blocks 13 which serve to support the ends of the metal rails or strips and also to space said rails or strips apart, can be fixed to the ends of said rails in any suitable manner or they may be suitably secured to a vertically disposed backing strip such as 17.

A series of superimposed rails or slats together with the combined supports and spacing blocks are arranged in a suitable frame 18, the rails of which are rabbeted as designated by 19 so as to receive the ends of the metal rails or strips and the upper portion of the uppermost strip and the lower portion of the low 2r strip. It will be understood that this frame can be ornamented as desired and when the metal rails or strips are properly combined therewith, a framed panel of neat and attractive appearance is produced.

The interchangeable character bearing plates 20 contemplated bymy invention are preferably formed of sheet metal and the upper portion of the body of each plate is bent rearwardly and downwardly to form an inclined hook 20 which is adapted to fit snugly upon the inclined flange 11 of any one of the metal rails or strips. These character bearing plates can be made in various sizes, are readily applied to or removed from the body of the sign, can be adjusted lengthwiseupon the rails or strips, and when properly applied thereto will maintain their positions even though the sign is subjected to considerable shifting movement in being handled or transferred from one position to another.

In the event that it is desired to provide a double-faced sign, the rails or strips are combined in pairs, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and when such arrangement is carried out, it will, of course, be necessary to utilize a wider frame.

Where the double-faced idea is' carried out, the ends of the rails are supported and spaced apart by a double block such as 13.

A device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, comprises but few parts, can be easily and cheaply manufactured, presents a neat and finished appearance when properly assembled, and forms an attractive sign or bulletin which is adaptable for a wide variety of uses.

The device is particularly advantageous by reason of the fact that when the character bearing members are properly applied to the rails forming the body or panel, they will retain their positions in a comparatively firm and substantial manner and at the same time they can be readily removed and adjusted when it becomes necessary to change the wording of the sign.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a changeable sign, a series of superimposed rails, and supporting blocks arranged behind each rail near the ends there of, the lower portions of the blocks for each rail bearing upon the supporting blocks for the next adjacent lower rail to space said rails apart.

2. In a sign, a series of rails formed of sheet metal having their upper and lower edges bent in the same direction so as to occupy substantially parallel inclined planes, and supporting blocks positioned behind each rail near the ends thereof, the lower portions of the blocks for each rail bearing upon the supporting blocks for the next adj acent lower rail to space said rails apart.

3. In a changeable sign, a series of superimposed rails, supporting blocks arranged behind each rail near the ends thereof, the lower portions of the blocks for each rail bearing upon the supporting blocks for the next adjacent lower rail to space said rails apart, and a series of character bearing plates provided with hooks on their upper ends, which hooks are adapted to engage the upper edges of said rails.

4. In a sign, a series of rails formed of sheet metal having their upper and lower edges bent in the same direction so as to occupy substantially parallel inclined planes, supporting blocks positioned behind each rail near the ends thereof, the lower portions of the blocks for each rail bearing upon the supporting blocks for the next adjacent rail to space said rails apart, and a series of character bearing plates provided with hooks on their upper ends, which hooks are adapted to engage the upper edges of said rails.

5. In a changeable sign, a series of superimposed rails, combined spacing and supporting blocks located behind each rail near the ends thereof, and each block being provided with a depending portion which is adapted to engage the next adjacent lower block.

6. Ina sign of the class described, a frame, a series of superimposed rails arranged therein, and spacing blocks arranged behind In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my the end portions of each rail and located signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses, adjacent to the vertical side members of the this 28th day of March, 1916.

frame, the lower portions of the blocks for WVARREN L. CLARK. 5 each rail bearing upon the supporting blocks Witnesses:

for the next adjacent lower rail to space CLARENCE MUDGE,

said rails apart. FRED. HOFMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

